Reinforced concrete construction.



W. B. HOUGH. REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1911.

' Patented Mar. 30, 1915 WILLIAM B. HOUGI-I, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PATENTED DEVICES COMPANY, OF PonrL 11. FIG.

, ASSIGNOR, BY IVIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Application filed November 17, 1911. Serial No. 660,845.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVILLIAM B. HoUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reinforced Concrete Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reinforced concrete beams and to floors constructed of a combination of tiles, concrete and reinforcement. In constructing such a floor the tiles are usually arranged in rows so as to provide relatively narrow spaces or channels to receive one or more reinforcing bars and concrete. When but one reinforcing bar is employed in such a space, difliculty has been exprienced in supporting and securing the bar at the proper distance from the lower face of the floor being constructed and from the sides of the spaces or channels between the rows of tiles. The object of this invention is to provide efl'ective, convenient and inexpensive means for thus supporting and securing the reinforcement, said means being also suitable for use in supporting and securing the reinforcement of a concrete beam.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmental sectional view of a reinforced concrete and tile floor embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of the spacing and securing element, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of another form thereof.

That embodiment of the invention which has been selected for illustration comprises a plurality of rows of tiles I placed end to end or in any other suitable manner to pro vide spaces 2 between the sides of the tiles to receive the reinforcing bar 3. Said bar is supported and secured in position by means of an element 4 consisting of a single barsupporting gage 5, and spacing wings 6 extending laterally from the bar-supporting gage to the sides of the adjacent tiles (or, in the case of a beam, to the sides of the boxing in which the beam is being constructed). To enable the form of element shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to stand firmly upon the decking or formwork A, each wing 6 terminates in a clown-turned flange or foot 7. The parts 5', 6 and 7 may be bent up from an integral strip of metal.

If desired, the laterally extending wings may bearranged to lie upon the formwork, as in Fig. 3, where 6 indicates the wings, 8 denotes portions extending downwardly from the top of the gage to the plane of the w ngs, and 7 are upwardly extending terminal flanges to contact the adjacent tiles or boxing.

The reinforcing bar may be secured to the spacing element by any preferred means. Herein I have shown a strip of metal 9 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the spacing element at 00. Being secured at opposite sides of the fold forming the gage 5, as shown, the bar-locking means serves to prevent the fold from opening up in case excessive pressure is placed upon it, and thus insures that the bar will be held in its proper horizontal plane. The free ends of the strip 9 constitute arms adapted to be bent to embrace the bar, as represented in Fig. 1.

10 indicates the concrete.

The spacing and securing element herein disclosed is very simple in construction, is not weakened by cutting or punching, will stand firmly upon the formwork when a single reinforcing bar is used, cannot shift laterally out of its proper position, and will support the bar with certainty at the proper height from the formwork.

I claim as my invention:

1. Reinforced concrete construction comprising members adapted to rest upon a formwork and provide two opposing side walls, concrete filling the space defined by said members, a reinforcing bar extending longitudinally in the space between said members. and a bar-supporting element consisting of a sheet metal strip bent to provide a gage directly below the bar, said gage being adapted to rest at its lower end upon the formwork and support said reinforcing bar at the upper end of the gage, said sheet metal strip extending laterally in opposite directions from said gage to said side walls and acting to space the gage from said walls, said laterally extending portions being bent to engage said bottom wall and to provide flanges adapted to lie along said side walls.

2. In a floor. the combination of a pluralitv of rows of tiles spaced apart; a single reinforcing bar extending longitudinally within the space between said rows; and a bar-spacing and securing element extending transversely within said space beneath the reinforcing bar and serving to space the adj acent tiles apart, said element consisting -of a flat metal strip of substantial width bent to form a single gage beneath the bar for spacing the latter from a formwork, and wings extending laterally from said gage to the sides of said tiles, said wings having flanges at their outer ends arranged to extend along the vertical sides of the tiles and rest upon the formworkto hold the spacing element against displacement, and means associated with said gage for securing the reinforcing bar thereto.

3. In a floor, the combination of a plurality of rows of tiles spaced apart to provide a channel between the rows; a single reinforcing bar extending longitudinally within said channel; and a spacing and securing element extending transversely within said channel beneath said bar and serving to space the adjacent tiles apart, said element consisting of a flat metal strip of substantial Width bent to' provide a single gage below said bar for spacing the bar from a formwork, said strip extending laterally in opposite directions from said gage to the sides of said tiles, and the ends of said strip being bent to form vertical flanges adapted to extend along the sides of said tiles, whereby said spacing and securing element is held from tilting or other displacing movement in said channel, and arms secured to said gage and adapted to embrace the reinforcing bar to secure the latter in place.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. HOUGH. Witnesses:

0. PAUL PARKER, GEORGE L. CHINDAHL.

.Oopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents Washington, D. 0." 1 

